Cover image courtesy of Cambridge Stud
Almanzor, whose own sire Wootton Bassett (GB) makes his much-anticipated Australian stud debut at Coolmore in 2021, had a brilliant yearling sales season, topping the first-season sire averages at Magic Millions Gold Coast, NZB National Yearling Sale, the Inglis Classic Sale and the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
The National Weanling Sale features eight of his second crop, five colts and three fillies, catalogued for sale at Karaka on Friday.
While New Zealand Bloodstock's Bloodstock Sales Manager, Danny Rolston, believes there is great opportunity across the entire 120-lot catalogue, he expects the progeny of Almanzor to be particularly popular.
"Almanzor made the headlines for us through Karaka this year and Cambridge Stud have got a couple of really good colts by him in the Sale, which are good, genuine colts which will appeal to people whether they be pinhookers or end users," he told TDN AusNZ.
"There's a few more of those in and around the grounds as well. They will draw plenty of attention. He's probably going to make some headlines tomorrow."
"They (the Almanzors) will draw plenty of attention. He's probably going to make some headlines tomorrow." - Danny Rolston
Lot 27 from the Cambridge Stud draft is an Almanzor colt out of the family of blue-hen mare Tracy's Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}), while Cambridge's other colt, Lot 28, carries an international pedigree, being from the family of G1 Belmont Futurity S. winner Whywhywhy (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}).
Haunui Farm offers three weanlings by Almanzor, two fillies, Lots 61 and 91, and a colt, Lot 78, while Curraghmore (Lot 14), Carlaw Park (Lot 40) and Brighthill Farm (Lot 64) are also selling members of his second crop.
The appeal of a sire like Almanzor is particularly strong for those in the pinhooking market, who tend to look for the progeny of stallion whose fortunes are set to rise ahead of next year's yearling sales. Almanzor should have his first runners by that point, which puts this crop of foals right in the cross hairs of those investors.
After a strong start to the foal sales season in Australia, with record results in the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale last week added to the confidence gained from a better-than-expected economic bounce-back in both Australia and New Zealand from the downturn caused by COVID-19, Rolston feels Friday's Sale is well-positioned to post strong results.
"It's shaping up really well. We have only got quite a small catalogue being a one-day Sale and the interest from the pinhookers has been really good." - Danny Rolston
"It's shaping up really well. We have only got quite a small catalogue being a one-day Sale and the interest from the pinhookers has been really good," he said.
"The Sydney Sale was strong and a lot of the Kiwis were over there and didn't buy as many horses as what they had hoped and that usually flows on to us. There will certainly be good competition from those pinhooking type horses, which there are a good number of."
Danny Rolston | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloostock
Opportunities abound
Those pinhookers who held their nerve during an uncertain 2020 NZB National Weanling Sale, which was held online, were generally well-rewarded at the National Yearling Sale earlier this year. While the average price at the Weanling Sale last year was NZ$17,251, those horses then re-offered as yearlings returned an average of NZ$67,700.
The highlight result was from Carlaw Park, who paid NZ$95,000 for a Savabeel colt at the Weanling Sale and sold him for NZ$200,000 at Karaka in January. Another notable result was a Tivaci colt which cost Andre Anderson NZ$3500 as a weanling and was sold for NZ$110,000 earlier this year.
"Karaka was quite different without the internationals here this year, but we still had an increase in clearance rate across the National Sales. When we have a good clearance rate and the sale's gone well, that inevitably leads on to the pinhooking activity at the weanling sales," Rolston said.
"We’ve got a level of confidence around that pinhooking activity really driving the market here."
Andre Anderson with his Tivaci x Florist (NZ) (colt)
Also likely to catch the eye of buyers are the array of horses by new sires, such as Ace High, Embellish (NZ), Eminent (Ire), Ocean Emperor (NZ), Showtime, Staphanos (Jpn), U S Navy Flag (USA) and Written By.
"The studmasters are making sure they are bringing some good examples by their new horses. These sales are always a good launching pad for those stallions, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they hit the market," Rolston said.
There are also weanlings by proven sires such as Tavistock (NZ), Ocean Park (NZ), Per Incanto (USA), Iffraaj (GB), Deep Field, Darci Brahma (NZ), Shocking, Sacred Falls (NZ) and Reliable Man (GB),
New Zealand Bloodstock is very pleased with being able to conduct a physical Sale this year, something which has led to a much stronger buying bench, helped along by the opening of the Trans-Tasman travel bubble.
"We haven't got a huge contingent from Australia, but Peter Morley from Grand Syndicates is on the grounds. Michael Kirwan is here and as is Merrick Staunton. So we have got a few Australians here, but we have really good interests through the agents, whether that be through us or though the Bloodstock Agents Federation of New Zealand from the Australian buyer," Rolston said.
